- Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 31 reviews Back to product review
- My rating: 0 stars
Full user review
-
36 out of 37 people found this review helpful
4.5 stars
"Sony KDL-46XBR3 - an Impressive HDTV"
Pros: Superb high resolution picture, large number of user-adjustable video and audio settings, attractive piano-black enclosure
Cons: Nothing to report
Summary: During the summer of 2006 I decided to educate myself on HDTV and make a purchase before the fall football season. After much reading and web surfing, I decided to purchase a plasma TV and actually went into Northern Virginia retail stores to purchase a unit. However, I could never follow through on the purchase. I'm a fairly critical consumer and what stopped me was the grainy picture on several 720p plasma units and the knowledge that 1080p plasma and LCD units would be arriving in the stores this fall. So at least three times I walked out of stores 'ready to buy' but empty-handed.
While I waited for the 1080p units to arrive, I continued to do my research on the next wave of consumer HDTV products. I saw the Pioneer Elite 1080p 50 inch plasma - it was stunning but so was the price - $9-10K. During this research period I decided to include LCD units in my search because I kept hearing about plasma burn-in, plasma pictures dimming over time, and several manufacturers moving exclusively to LCD units. But I also became aware of the traditional LCD issues such as viewing angle, reduced brightness, and motion issues.
Through my web surfing I finally became aware of the soon-to-be-released Sony Bravia 46" 1080p LCD (KDL-46XBR3). I kept searching the Internet for a CNET review of the KDL-46XBR3 but never found one. After reading the spec sheet and looking at older model XBR2 units at the retailers, I convinced myself that the next generation 46XBR3 was the HDTV for me. Why? Several reasons:
1. The knowledgeable sales staff at Tweeter (which is where I purchased my unit) were always commenting on the Sony XBR2's picture quality - I figured if the XBR2 is good, the XBR3 should be better
2. 1080p picture resolution.
3. The Sony reputation for quality
4. Other spec sheet info (e.g., viewing angle, HDMI inputs, etc)
5. August sale at Tweeter even on orders for latest HDTV gear
I finally purchased the Sony KDL-46XBR3 in mid-August and took delivery on 9/5/2006.
Here's my subjective assessment of the TV: Wow!! The 1080p picture resolution is impressive. While I'm waiting for DirecTV to upgrade my home, I?m working off my roof antennae, and I'm very impressed with tuner sensitivity and the number of digital TV offerings the TV found in the DC area (Channel 26 - the PBS channel - broadcasts stunning picture quality; the Fox and ABC affiliates need to upgrade to 1080i). The TV picture setting was set to 'Vivid' out-of-the-box, but I reset it to 'standard' for a more natural look. The plethora of picture settings is, on the one hand, great for folks who like to tinker, but luckily, there's a reset button to get back to out-of-the-box settings. I originally was concerned about picture brightness - I thought the picture was rather dark - until I realized there's a room light sensor on the front panel to dim the picture in a dark room and brighten the picture in a lighted room. Once I turned this feature off, picture brightness was outstanding all the time. The instruction manual could do a better job of explaining the video input numbering scheme and how this info must be used during setup. The viewing angle is almost 180 degrees, so there are no complaints in this area. Most (95-98%) motion scenes are rendered well without any loss of resolution, but a very fast motion sequence may lose resolution for a split-second. (I've heard that this can be due to compression schemes and broadcast equipment as well as the TV). The TV enclosure is piano-black and very attractive to look at.
Overall I'm very pleased with the TV and feel I've hit a home run with my HDTV purchase.
- 1 reply to this review
-
Umm.... You do know that XBR2 and XBR3 sets are identical in every way except:
1) Piano Black bezel on XBR3 (not interchangeable like the XBR2)
2) Black Remote for XBR 3 (Silver for XBR2)
3) Sony charges $300 more for the XBR3
Where to buy
Sony Bravia KDL-46XBR3:
$2,999.00
| store | price | in stock? | rating |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Amazon.com Marketplace
|
$2,999.00 | Yes |
|
